A man may not take a wife either from his own section or that of
his mother or his grandmother, nor from those of the husbands of his
father's sisters. For a Jat wedding a square enclosure is marked out
with pegs, and a thread is wound seven times round the pegs touching
the ground, and covered over with rice or wheat so that it may not
be burnt. The enclosure is known as Chaonri, and inside it the hom
or fire sacrifice is performed with butter, barley, sesamum, sugar
and saffron placed on the top of a heap of wheat-flour. After the
sacrifice the bride and bridegroom walk seven times round the Chaonri
with their right hands inwards. After this tufts of cotton are thrown
over the bodies of the bridegroom and bride and they have to pick
it off each other, the one who finishes first being considered the
winner. This is apparently a symbolical imitation of the agricultural
operation of cotton-picking. The remarriage of widows is permitted,
the ceremony being usually performed on a Saturday. A bachelor
who is to marry a widow must first walk seven times round a pipal
tree. Contrary to the usual custom, a widow is forbidden to espouse
her deceased husband's younger brother or any of his relations within
three degrees of consanguinity.